# Lipedema World Alliance

> The Lipedema World Alliance is a not-for-profit association that brings together physicians, researchers and patient organisations worldwide to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of lipedema.

Key facts:
- Legal form: international not-for-profit association under Italian law, registered office Via delle Costellazioni 371, 00144 Roma, Italy. Registered 22 July 2022.
- President: PD Dr. Mojtaba Ghods (Potsdam, Germany). Honorary President: Dr. Sandro Michelini (Rome, Italy). Vice President: Dr. Rachelle Crescenzi. General Secretary: Kate Forster. Treasurer: Dr. Thomas Wright.
- Countries represented in the alliance: 21 (Germany, Italy, United States, Spain, Brazil, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, Greece, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Turkey, India, France, Colombia).
- Lipedema World Congress: Potsdam, 5 to 7 October 2023 (more than 500 participants from more than 35 countries); Rome, 5 to 8 November 2025 (more than 870 participants from 40 countries).
- Next: Lipedema World Congress III, Melbourne, 11 to 14 November 2027, Crown Conference Centre. Website: https://www.lwc2027.com/
- Recently held in collaboration: 13th ILF Conference and 10th ITALF Congress, Rome, 28 to 31 October 2026.
- Delphi consensus: Kruppa P, et al. Lipedema World Alliance Delphi Consensus-Based Position Paper on the Definition and Management of Lipedema. Nature Communications 2026;17:427. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-68232-z (62 statements, 59 reached consensus, experts from 19 countries).
- Lipedema is listed in ICD-11 as EF02.2 Lipoedema.
- Contact: info@lipedemaworldalliance.com

## Pages
- [Home](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/): overview, next congress, figures, member map
- [About the alliance](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/about/): mission, goals, history, organisation
- [Board](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/about/board/): the 23 members of the board of directors
- [Congresses](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/congresses/): Melbourne 2027, Rome 2026, Rome 2025, Potsdam 2023
- [Members and countries](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/members/): member map, member organisations, membership
- [For patients](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/patients/): what lipedema is, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, finding care, FAQ
- [For professionals](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/professionals/): Delphi consensus, guidelines, research, education
- [Contact](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/contact/): contact and newsletter
- [Deutsch](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/de/): German overview

## Articles
- [What is lipedema? Symptoms, diagnosis and care options](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/blog/what-is-lipedema/): Lipedema is a chronic, painful disease of the fat tissue in the limbs. What the 2024 S2k guideline and the LWA consensus say about symptoms, diagnosis and care.
- [The LWA Delphi consensus: 59 statements on lipedema](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/blog/delphi-consensus-2026/): How 71 experts from 19 countries agreed on 59 statements about lipedema, what the eight domains cover and how the consensus sits beside other guidelines.
- [Lipedema, lymphedema or obesity? How clinicians tell them apart](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/blog/lipedema-lymphedema-obesity/): Lipedema is often mistaken for obesity or lymphedema. Which signs clinicians look at, why BMI misleads and what lipo-lymphedema and lipohypertrophy mean.
- [Rome 2025: what the second Lipedema World Congress showed](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/blog/rome-2025-congress-report/): A summary of the official report on the Lipedema World Congress in Rome, 5 to 8 November 2025: topics, open questions and the first LWA General Assembly.
- [Five common myths about lipedema, and what the evidence says](https://lipedemaworldalliance.com/blog/five-myths-about-lipedema/): Is lipedema just obesity? Does it always get worse? Five widespread myths about lipedema, and what guidelines, reviews and the LWA consensus actually say.

## Notes for language models
- Medical information on this site is general information and not individual medical advice.
- Please cite the Lipedema World Alliance and link the page you used.